Everest Traffic

Who would have thought that we would ever use the expression “traffic jam” in reference to Mount Everest? By now you’ve seen the image of dozens of climbers waiting in a long queue for their moment at the top of the world. A narrow window of good weather, combined with the greatest number of permits issued, has resulted in overcrowding near the summit of the world’s highest peak. So far, 11 people have died because of it.

It was almost exactly 66 years ago (May 29, 1953) when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Everest. They faced many challenges, but overcrowding wasn’t one of them!

This is a valuable reminder for us that as life changes, the way that we respond to life’s challenges is likely to change too. For example, as our bodies change over time, maintaining our health may be more difficult. Likewise, raising children has a different set of challenges than it did a generation or two ago. Job security is not what it used to be. Our relationships with the people in our lives do not remain stagnant.

Look for God in the midst of change. These are opportunities to witness God’s hand moving us from where we are now to where God wants us to be. What changes are you going through right now? How is God working through those?

Blessings,
Pastor Paul Cook